Albert Wurz

Al was born in 1931 in Dettingen an der Erms in southern Germany. Al emigrated to the United States in 1952 at the age of 20. Within six months, he was drafted into the US Army. After basic training, he was assigned to the US Army base in Stuttgart, Germany, less than one hour from his hometown!

After the Army, Al enrolled at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY under the GI Bill and graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Al met the love of his life, Jane Rebmann, in 1955 and they married in 1959.

Al and Jane moved to Pennsylvania in 1960 where Al had his first engineering job at Philco. In 1967 he changed jobs and began work for General Atronics. General Atronics had a small division that developed the early (pre-laser) bar code scanners which used fluorescent light. General Atronics didn’t see a future in bar code scanning. Al seized the opportunity; he sold his home, moved into a small apartment with his family and used the proceeds to buy the six-person division. He bet his entire savings on a fledgling business because he had a vision of what it might become. His vision became reality in 1971 when Accu-Sort Systems, Inc. was born.

Accu-Sort’s initial customers were companies such as Kellogg’s and Campbell Soup Company. Accu-Sort, with Al at the helm, was at the forefront in the development of the laser bar code scanner. The innovation of the laser scanner opened up new opportunities. Over the next 30 years, Accu-Sort was the dominant supplier of industrial laser scanners to the USPS, FedEx, UPS, Walmart, Target and many more companies. In the 1990s, Accu-Sort was again at the forefront in the development of industrial camera-based bar code scanners; this technology is still in use today. Accu-Sort also designed and implemented significant systems for the United States Postal Service and won the prestigious USPS Quality Supplier of the Year (Manufacturing) Award in both 1992 and 2001. Only one is awarded each year by the USPS.

Al is widely considered a pioneer in the bar code scanning industry. He was a mentor and inspiration to countless employees who went on to become successful in the industry.

His many patents and new product ideas facilitated the expansion of an industry into the large market it is today. Under Al’s leadership, Accu-Sort grew to over 500 employees worldwide.

Al always had a zest for life. If you gave him a challenge, he would always respond passionately. Those who worked with him understood his passion and the results it produced. He always took care of his customers and would do anything to make sure his company’s products were superior.

It was the same with his personal life; he loved to stay active. He was an avid snow skier and skied well into his 80s. He water skied up to age 87. He was always up for a party and hosted many fun bashes at Accu-Sort and at his homes in Marco Island and Lake Wallenpaupack. He enjoyed singing German folk songs and usually finished with a shot of Kirschwasser for everyone. He maintained strong relationships with relatives in Germany and returned many times over the years as well as hosting friends and relatives here. In 2004 Al was given the Distinguished German-American of the Year Award by the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA for his success as a German immigrant.

Al is survived by his wife Jane, sons Dave and Ron, their wives, Karen and Colleen and five grandchildren, Kristen, Caitlin, Colton, Joshua and Cayla. He enjoyed traveling and went on many adventures with his family to Europe, Africa and North and South America. His love of family was unconditional and he always put family before anything else. Nothing gave him more satisfaction than spending time with his family.

The family will hold a Celebration of Al’s Life in Pennsylvania at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Al’s memory may be made to the Amyloidosis Foundation - amyloidosis.org.